1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hard butter and a chocolate of excellent qualities. More particularly, it relates to a hard butter and a chocolate highly resistant to blooming. That is, the hard butter of the present invention can remarkably enhance the antiblooming properties of chocolates and chocolate products. Thus the chocolate of the present invention which contains said hard butter is made available with a wider range of composition which can hardly be achieved with the use of conventional ones.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional processes for maintaining the gloss of the surface of a chocolate include compounding of various emulsifiers or particular fats and/or oils. However there has been found no remarkable effect obtained by using any emulsifiers. On the other hand, the compounding of particular fats and/or oils and the elevation of the melting points of fats and/or oils, as described above, are somewhat effective in maintaining the gloss of the surface of a chocolate, i.e., in improving the anti-blooming properties thereof. However these processes highly restrict the composition of products, since it is required to compound a large amount of fats and/or oils in order to maintain the gloss of the surface of the products.
Further the composition of chocolate products is frequently limited from the viewpoint of the antiblooming properties. It is particularly difficult to freely compound those containing trans and lauric hard butters. Namely, it is extremely difficult to compound conventional trans hard butter in a chocolate less than 85% by weight based on the total oleaginous components thereof except milk fat. Namely, it is extremely difficult to compound more than 15% by weight of cacao butter thereto based on the total oleaginous components thereof except milk fat. Fat blooming would readily occur in the case of a product wherein cacao butter is used in an amount exceeding the above value, which damages the commercial value thereof. Further it is extremely difficult to compound conventional lauric hard butter in a chocolate less than 95% by weight based on the total oleaginous components thereof except milk fat. That is, it is extremely difficult to compound more than 5% by weight of cacao butter thereto based on the total oleaginous components thereof except milk fat. Thus conventional chocolate products usually contain 4% by weight or less of cacao butter. Fat blooming would readily occur in the case of a product wherein cacao butter is used in an amount exceeding the above value, which damages the commercial value thereof.